Present of a Lifetime
by RobertDowneyJrLove
Summary: Tony's proposal. Summary sucks but hopefully you like it :


The birthday party was in full swing. Pepper's birthday. He had actually remembered this time and the result had been a surprise birthday party that had sufficiently made her cry and kiss him senseless-not that he minded, of course. He had invited a few Pepper's old college friends who she kept in touch with and of course Rhodey, but other than that, it was relatively small. He had been standing by the bar for the last twenty minutes content to watch her dance with her girlfriends with a carelessness and an innocence that gave him a glimpse of what she might have been like in college.

"She looks happy." Rhodey commented, idling up beside him and leaning against the bar.

Tony nodded, his brown eyes never leaving the giggling red-head. "She does."

"You've been staring at her all night, what's up with that?" Rhodey asked him, "It's not like you not to mingle?"

"I don't want to miss anything." Tony told him softly, in the simplest yet most revealing of ways possible. "I don't want to miss seeing her this happy, that smile or the laughter. I don't want to miss it. When I go away on a mission, I miss her and it's not just because I love her, it's because I'm afraid of missing something. Of missing a chance to see her at her happiest or just miss the opportunity to tell her that I love her one more time."

"She knows, Tony." Rhodey told him quietly.

"I know, but it's something about being able to tell her. To see the look in her eyes, the look of pure happiness when I tell her that I love her. I don't want to miss that. I never want to miss that. Call it being sappy or whatever, but I can't stand the thought of missing the look on her face when I tell her I love her." Tony whispered, his brown eyes still intently focused on the dancing red-head.

"It's not called being sappy, Tony. It's called being in love with her." Rhodey told him softly.

Tony just smiled as he listened to the music come to end and the slower ballad that he had requested pour through the speakers. The familiar sound of Aerosmith drifting through the room and changing the entire mood of the party.

"Tony," Pepper laughed breathlessly stumbling over to him as the music changed and something she didn't recognized poured the speakers. "Dance with me?"

Tony nodded as he let her lead him onto the dance floor and easily twirled her into his arms. The party settled around them as they danced, easily moving with one another. Tony had his arm wrapped around her waist while her arm was looped around his, her hand resting on his shoulder. Their free hands were linked against his chest and Tony had his head tilted toward Pepper's, his three-day stubble brushing the porcelain skin of her cheek.

"I could stay awake, just hear you breathing, watch you smile while you are sleepin', while you're far away and dreaming," Tony's voice was soft, husky and tender as he sang along with the screechy voice of Steven Tyler. "I could spend my life in this sweet surrender, I could stay lost in this moment forever. Well, every moment spent with you is a moment I treasure."

If anyone else heard him as he sang along with the song, neither of them paid any attention, to caught up in the moment as he sang along with Steven Tyler. Everyone at the party was watching them but they couldn't force themselves to care as they danced.

"I don't wanna close my eyes, I don't wanna fall asleep, cause I'd miss you, babe." Tony sang softly, his hand moving up to cradle the side of her head and hold it in place, "And I don't wanna miss a thing. 'Cause even when I dream of you, the sweetest dream will never do. I'd still miss you, babe. And I don't wanna miss a thing."

Pepper could feel the tears stinging her eyes as he sang in what could only be described as a heartbreakingly tender voice that was slowly melting her. Tony was talented at a lot of things but singing was most definitely his best-and possibly most useful talent yet. His voice was sweet, tender, husky and just as you'd expect from the man who loved with everything he had in him, despite the risks that went along with that.

"Lying close to you, feeling your heart beating. And I'm wondering what you're dreaming, wondering if it's me you're seeing. Then I kiss your eyes and thank God we're together." Tony sang softly, his eyes closed as he let himself get lost in the moment. "And I just wanna stay with you, in this moment forever, forever and ever."

Pepper gripped Tony's jacket in a half-hearted attempt to keep herself upright and let her head fall onto his shoulder as he dropped his hand and wrapped his arms around her. She repressed the urge to just cry into his shoulder as he continued singing, in the sweetest of voices, that not even Steven Tyler could match.

"I don't wanna close my eyes, I don't wanna fall asleep, 'cause I'd miss you, babe." Tony sang softly, his face half buried in Pepper's hair as they just swayed to the music. "And I don't wanna miss a thing. 'Cause even when I dream of you, the sweetest dream will never do, I'd still miss you, babe. And I don't wanna miss a thing."

He kissed her and gently pulled away, forcing her head off of his shoulder. He gently brushed her cheek with his hand, met her eyes and grinned as he crooned the next verse, "I don't wanna miss one smile, I don't wanna miss one kiss. Well I just wanna be with you, right here with you, just like this. I just wanna hold you close, feel your heart so close to mine and stay here in this moment for all the rest of time."

He stopped singing and leaned down to captured Pepper's lips with his as the screechy voice of Steven Tyler finished out the song around them. They pulled away when oxygen became a necessity and they were left gasping for air. Tony smiled as he held one hand in hers and dug into the front pocket of his jacket, pulling out a black velvet box. Tears sprang to her eyes as Tony opened the box and grinned at her.

"I meant what I said, Pepper." Tony smiled as he knelt down on one knee. "I don't wanna miss a thing. You're the love of my life, Pepper. I don't want to miss the way your eyes light up when we're talking, or the way you smile when I tell you I love you or even the way you blush when I compliment you. I don't want to miss anything, Pepper. I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Virginia Potts, will you do me the unbelievable, incredible honor of becoming my wife?"

"Yes...a thousand times yes!" Pepper told him softly, "I love you Anthony Stark and the honor would be all mine."

He swiftly removed the sapphire ring from the box and slid it onto her finger before standing up and tenderly wiping the tears off of her cheeks. He leaned down and crashed his lips against hers as the crowd screamed and applauded around them. It didn't matter that his black jacket was being wrinkled as she gripped his shoulders or the fact that his grip on her hips was crushing the silky fabric of her dress. None of that mattered, all that mattered to them was letting this moment last as long as it possibly could.

"I love you so much, Pepper." Tony whispered against her lips.

"I love you too, Tony." Pepper whispered softly, "So very much."

It didn't matter that the party was still going on around them as they left to celebrate at home or that the cake and presents had been left untouched. None of that mattered as they drove home, Pepper's hand in Tony's the whole way. And as they lay in bed wrapped in each other's arms, Tony tracing soft circles on her back, just as he did every night, the only thought that drifted through their minds was the thought of forever-with each other. And it all happened because Tony didn't want to miss a thing when it came to Pepper.

* * *

**If Robert Downey Jr. were to sing this song, I'd probably melt into a puddle of goo! He's adorable, sexy and a few other positive adjectives but unfortunately I'm not allowed to say them! I know that a bunch of back story is missing like what the ring looks like but honestly after six drafts-five of which were on notebook paper-I was ready to finish but the ring, honestly I had Kate Middleton's ring in mind when I wrote this story but I couldn't remember what her ring looked like, all I know was that it was sapphire and I think the diamonds around it formed a snowflake? I have no clue, anyway review please! **

**Love ya, **

**RobertDowneyJrLove **

**DISCLAIMER: The song belongs to Aerosmith, Iron Man belongs to Marvel and Robert Downey Jr. belongs to Susan Downey. **


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